Men

Roger Federer - It goes without saying that the best player in the world is favoured to win one of the four majors, especially as he makes such a habit of it. The difference this time is that Federer has not played a competitive match with points at stake since the final of the Masters Cup and that was in the third week of November. He cannot be sure where his levels are and thus he is vulnerable to an early shock which may be provided by either Fabrice Santoro or John Isner - the veteran Frenchman and the American who seems as tall as Melbourne's Eureka Tower - in the second round. If he gets through week one, expect him to be standing with silverware in his arms at the end of week two.

Andy Murray - A lot of people who know the game intimately are coming up to folk like me here and asking, with that strange look in their eye, if I agree with them that Murray can win the title. That rarely happened with Tim Henman. It is difficult to disavow them of their beliefs because Murray's his first week win in Doha as a significant moment and the fact that he is so supremely confident, so happy with his new team and so relaxed means that he is dangerous. He certainly has the game. A first round against Jo-Wilfried Tsonga of France is an exceptional challenge but if he comes through that, one could see him lasting deep into the second week. Who knows then?

Andy Roddick - Jimmy Connors was supposed to be heading home to the United States on the day before the championships but has rejigged his diary and is staying for the entire event. One wonders if Andy Roddick's coach has seen something in training which makes him believe utterly in his man and Roddick has only once failed to get into the second week of the Australian Open and that was when he was a callow professional. Once again, he won the pre-championship AAMI Classic at Kooyong so his game is grooved and, for once, he is not in Federer's half of the draw which must have calmed him.

David Nalbandian - Like Federer, he has had no match practice in 2008 after sustaining a back injury last week which forced him to withdraw from Kooyong. Nalbandian is the form man of the men's game, having won the Masters events in Madrid and Paris at the back end of 207, during which he beat both Roger Federer and Rafael Nadal twice, which is saying something about his talents. The Argentine says he is ready to win a grand slam after reaching the one final, the 2002 Wimbledon when he was wet-behind-the-ears.

Dark horse: Mikhail Youzhny - The 18th seed, Thomas Johansson, won this title in 2002 and this year's 14th seed took the Chennai tournament in the first week of the year, he was chosen at the helm of the Russian team which was defeated in the Davis Cup final by the USA in December, and is in a section of the draw where much damage can be caused. He has a wonderful game, the most expressive of single-handed backhands and a great attitude to the game. Loves the thrill of five set matches and could spark a real surprise.

Women

Justine Henin - the champion here in 2004, she missed last year's event when her private life was in turmoil but has returned as the dominant figure in the women's game and has already won a title in 2008, in Sydney on Saturday, so is obviously feeling good about her game. She has won her last 28 matches in succession which is saying something even by Henin's remarkable standards. As she says: "You don't know if you're in good shape or if you still need a little bit of time to be at your best. A lot of things can happen in Australia. We'll have answers in the next few days." Expect that answer to be in the affirmative.

Serena Williams - Looks superb, says she has never been or felt better and the defending champion wants to prove that her win last year, when she stormed the ramparts of Melbourne Park when unseeded and ranked No.81 on the Sony Ericsson WTA Tour, was not something of a fluke. "Just seeing your photograph up on the wall is a great vibe but it's just one of the things I like about being in Australia," she says. "The thing that feels so special is it's away from the rest of the world. It makes me feel kind of loose and laid-back. There is just no pressure on my shoulders here." Watch out world.

Venus Williams - It is hard to pick one of the sisters out, without considering the virtues of the other. The Wimbledon champion missed last year's event through injury and had a bit of a torrid time results-wise at Melbourne Park in the three preceding years, but there is enough about her game for her to cut a dash. May reprise the Wimbledon final by meeting Marion Bartoli of France in the fourth round by which time she ought to be moving steadily through the gears. Her game is a good as anyone's when she puts her mind to it and a Williams final, the seventh in grand slam history is certainly not beyond reason's bounds.

Maria Sharapova - Yes she has a shoulder injury that will not go away and yes, she faces the prospect of an awe-inspiring second round match against Lindsay Davenport, the new mum who has won three titles on her return to the game since Jagger Davenport arrived into the world. It is said that Yuri Sharapov, her father, will be taking a back step this year and that Maria will not be so reliant on his presence and persuading. She has won two grand slam titles and needs to challenge right at the heart of the game's big championships to thwart those who say she does not have a third in her. I suspect they are very wrong.

Dark horse: La Ni - the 25-year-old Chinese won the title on the Gold Coast last week, she is the 24th seed here (Venus Williams was the 28th at Wimbledon remember) and reached the fourth round in Melbourne last year, so she obviously relishes these conditions and the support of the local Chinese population, which is immense. She has already beaten a lot of very fine players in her career, Kim Clijsters, Jelena Jankovic and Daniela Hantuchova to name but three. Says she intends to win a grand slam so does not lack for ambition.